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Scar tissue in throat caused by radiation and chemo treatment
Is there anything done to remove scar tissue so you can eat?
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Is there anything done to remove scar tissue so you can eat?
Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Head & Neck Cancer Support Group.
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@krisohlson
After my husband’s 2nd round of chemo and radiation for head and neck cancer, he had lost the ability to swallow very well. His surgeon then did a throat dilation and it did help. Then did it as an outpatient surgery and it is a very short procedure. He also had a swallow test that showed a very limited opening.
Could you get a consultation with someone at the cancer center in Seattle?
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1 Reaction@colleenyoungesophageal cancer and yes I had a jtube for 8 weeks after ivor Lewis surgery
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1 ReactionI’m getting an iron infusion every four weeks and it makes me so sick for 3days after infusion.
Hello @cskippy. Yes, Mayo Clinic in Rochester MN is also where I have had all my cancer care. They have a great laryngeal team and my head and neck medical oncologist there Dr. Katharine Price is my hero. We live 2 hours from Cleveland Clinic but drive 10 hours to Mayo for the quality of care. Nothing against CC, but at the time 14 years ago, Mayo was ranked higher than CC for ENT care. I had already requested a referral to the University of Michigan 1 hour away and that is how I got my initial diagnosis. I firmly believe that it pays to travel for your health care if your choices are limited locally. I don't think I would be still alive if I had continued on at UM in stead of Mayo. Perhaps dead from the unbelievable frustration with their scheduling system in addition to the cancer? Are you considering Mayo MN with your daughter so close by?
I live in Oregon. I have been treated at the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) Portland. Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery unit removed my second cancer in 2020 from my tongue & soft Platte and installed a skin graph. I cannot swallow due to the first cancer in 2010 where radiation was used to treat it at the base of my tongue and throat. OHSU stated that they have seen this many times and that I would be a feeding tube for the rest of my life.
Where should I go for a second opinion on my swallowing evaluation? Stanford in SF?
@terrycleckler, I encourage you to join the esophageal cancer discussion over here:
- Esophageal Cancer support group https://connect.mayoclinic.org/group/esophageal-cancer/
@krisohlson when I was starting my search for care I used the US News and World Report website for best hospitals for comparison. I liked the criteria used in their rankings. I see Stanford highly rated in both cancer care and ENT so that may be a good choice. Check out those rankings and see what you think.
https://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/rankings/cancer
Thank You very much for your reply.
My husband had base of tongue surgery and radiation 20 years ago at UCLA and had a Jtube for 4 months. It took about 2 years before he could eat “ok” . Cancer returned 2025 and he had surgery Base of tongue but it did not get all of it. He is currently on Keytruda.
The scar tissue is making his swallowing worse again but treatment at Fred Hutch Seattle and we are moving to AZ so changing to Mayo gives us great confidence…we had one meet and recommendations are already being made.
You most definitely have to travel to find the best care and research hospitals have saved my husbands life for sure…